Considerações sobre o princípio da capacidade contributiva no ordenamento jurídico brasileiro

Abstract

This work has as an objective to study the principle of contribution capacity inside of the Brazilian legal system under the terms of the Federal Constitution and comparison between the positioning of several jurists, experts on the subject. For such, it was necessary an analysis of the legal system and its constitutional norms, so that one can investigate the legal nature and the principle's function. We continue, as follows, to a brief explanation of the historic-constitutional aspects of the contribution capacity principle with the intent to understand the reason of its creation while it acts as a principle which limits the actions of the State when collecting tributes and the evolution of the State in face of the changes in the world scenario both in a social and historical context. These came to reflect in the Brazilian Federal Constitution, and as a consequence, in the resurgence, absence or presence of the principle itself, be it as intense as it may. Deeper in the subject, object of our study, we had as an objective to analyze it from its concept, influences, the norm that embraces the most controversy in the existing doctrines so that we can understand its meaning, extension, depth and limits within the National Tax System. We seek, yet, to relate the principle in focus with some closer principles, pointing out where they are valid, since they are vectors of interpretation of most relevance, they possess the most important function in Law. At last, in face of the countless controversies observed, which circle around the contribution capacity principle, and due to the great relevance that it possess as the defining principle of taxes seeking a fair taxation, it made sense to elaborate an analysis on the behavior of the Legal Power where the principle is to be observed, as well as some decisions from the Brazilian Supreme Court, due to their function as guardians of the Brazilian Federal Constitution